I was penning a story on the art of real drinking, not just slamming down a few watery, anemic beers in the back yard while moving the lawn. (I bet you’ve guessed by now that I am ready to get out and start working on my yard and cracking open my BBQ.) My story was going to be a well-versed examination of excellent cocktails, perfectly poured cask-conditioned ales or a fine wine dinner. As I was writing it, I started to contemplate what my body feels like after a few drinks. I am not getting any younger, and I need to be more restrained and think hard about the choices I make. However, one thing kept coming back-how I have always felt at the end of an enjoyable evening. I am always hungry.
Admit it-we all get the munchies after partaking in some adult pleasures. After one peaceful conversation with a bar owner and a pint of Adnams Broadside on trip to visit my mother in England, the whole bar couldn’t help but hear one particular, enlightened couple yell, “Let’s go for a curry!” In the UK, a take-away curry is the new stereotypical late-night-after-a-bender junk food. I was ready for one myself. I knew there had to be a hole-in-the-wall curry shop open late somewhere. I was on a mission. Of course, that part of the world has no streetlights, so I went home and ate a cold sandwich. Is the cry for mild butter chicken or hotter curries made with ghost peppers universal? Is the insanity of the heat a rite of passage or a wake-up call so you can make it home? The latest trendy dish is the Nashville Hot Chicken. Even the Colonel has it on the menu. Prince’s in Nashville is the gold standard-what all other versions are copied from. I plan to visit in April and experience the taste myself. I would love to be able to show up at closing time to see how many “chili heads” fired up on bourbon are taking the challenge.
What is it about the late-night shack selling cheap burgers, oversized burritos and fiery curries? Is the food any better than it is at your 12:00 lunch break? For me, it’s more about the experience and the pleasure you get standing on a street corner or under the spotlight of the food truck selling the best greasy grilled cheese you ever had! Where I am in my life, I am not stumbling my way down the street to sober up. I am on an energized quest to find these food joints. There are a few places I have been around the world were simple food served in a bag or paper boat were some of the most memorable sober experiences I have ever had.
Here are some of those food memories: spit-roasted pig’s knuckles in tomato sauce from the back of a truck in Germany, a Polish from Jim’s Original in Chicago, steak tartare on toast in Switzerland, condensed milk and instant coffee in Togo West Africa and my first real experience with the late-night greasy cheeseburger off the Haven Brother’s Truck in Providence in the early ’80s. The best part of all those snacks was that I was with people I was happy to be with-my wife, kids, friends, roommates and people we met along the way who were just excited about tasting these flavors from the oddest places.
After thinking about that curry, I am eager to experience the street foods of the world, from the izakayas of Tokyo and the food stalls of Mumbai to having a bowl of phô from a Vietnamese river boat as the sun rises over this amazing world of food.
Here are some of my favorite Indian dishes you can try next time you feel adventurous:
- Murg Mahkani
- Rogan Josh
- Goan Pork Vindaloo
And of course you need to wash it down with the right beer. Try a Kingfisher Lager!
Curry Fun Fact
PS! There Are No Curries In India
The Anglicized term comes from food cooked in a karahi, which was mistranslated when the Brits came back from the sub-continent. They called out for something more exciting than a plate of bangers and mash to wash down those IPAs.
